Reborn
by SarcasticXSkeleton
Summary: After the Snap, the remaining Avengers are left to pick up the pieces. When an old enemy offers an unexpected gift, rebirthing those who disappeared suddenly seems possible.
1. The New World

**Greetings, all! Welcome to my story. This is my idea of what A4 could hold (though it will inevitably be proved wrong in a few months). I've had a lot of fun writing it and I hope you enjoy reading it! Follows, Favs, and Reviews are much appreciated xoxo**

 **DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that is owned by Marvel.**

oOo

It was done.

Stillness thickened the air, freezing Thor's limbs. The nightmarish reality settled on his mind in an instant, his eyes still fixed where the Titan had disappeared just moments before. Now Stormbreaker lay in his stead, dark blood staining the young axehead. Even through the mess, Thor could see his own reflection staring back at him from within the gleaming metal. His ears muffled any outside sound as one phrase assaulted his mind.

" _You should have gone for the head."_

Dust coated Thor's mouth as the dry African wind kicked it into the air. Feeling the granules on his hands, he brought them out in front of him. He held what once were the lives of friends in his hands. Just a few seconds earlier, the dust was living, breathing, speaking. Now it danced in the air, dark and unthinking. Thor clenched his hands in fists. Whatever thirst for revenge, whatever ambition he once had dissolved into a heavy guilt that seemed to draw seconds into eternity. His reflection grew cloudy as his good eye condensed with tears.

"Thor?"

Steve's calm voice ripped the Asgardian king back to reality. All at once, the vibrant green foliage seemed mocking in comparison to the grief on the once-Captain's face.

"We need to regroup in the city."

Thor could do nothing but nod. Wearily, he knelt down and picked up Stormbreaker, wiping the dirty metal against the ground. The weapon somehow felt less friendly in his hand than a few moments prior.

He once again glanced up to Steve. Rogers had since moved to just a few feet in front of the Asgardian king. There were no words exchanged between them, but the concern in his friend's eyes somehow made Thor feel small, a feeling he was not at all accustomed to. Steve reached out and clasped Thor's shoulder briefly before moving by him towards Wakanda. Shortly after followed Natasha and Bruce, each keeping a careful distance from each other and not saying a word to Thor. Rhodey and the warrior maiden from Wakanda followed suit.

Rain, drop after drop, tapped a somber rhythm in the leaves.

"No… no…"

Thor turned to find the talking rabbit creature kneeling in the now soggy dust, shielding a patch with his wet fur. The king drifted over to the creature, making an attempt to keep the giant axe behind him. For a little while he just stood close by, wanting to give his newfound friend some time to mourn. He didn't seem to notice Thor's presence as he grasped at the mud beneath him. The action stabbed Thor in the heart and he knelt down in the mud. .

"Sweet rabbit… I'm so sorry."

Silence. The only indication of the creature's hearing him was its paws squeezing the mud between them.

"I know you must mourn, but we need to join the others-"

"You were supposed to kill him."

Though the words were quiet, Thor's heart seemed to still in his chest. Slowly, Rocket brought his face up to look at the Asgardian. His fur dripped and lay flat to his bone structure, widening his eyes. Something between rage and despair swam in their depths. Without a warning, he shot up and scratched Thor's face. Stormbreaker fell from Thor's grasp as he careened backwards in surprise. Rodent nails scurried up his leg until he could see the creature kneeling on his chestplate. Truthfully, Thor could have flung him away in an instant. But something inside him kept his arms at his sides.

"We spent all that time getting a goddamn weapon that was supposed to kill him and you _didn't!_ Groot is dead because of _you!_ I already lost him once… I…. I…"

All at once, the rage collapsed into a broken whimper. Rocket slumped over with his face buried in his hands. Though rain stung Thor's eyes, he forced himself to keep them open and looking at the creature. Not knowing what else to do, he moved to touch his friend's shoulder. Rocket flinched as if electrocuted and stepped onto the ground, trodding in the direction of the city. Thor gradually moved onto his knees.

"Rabbit… I'm sorry…"

The words sounded hollow as they left his mouth but he didn't know what else to say. For a moment Rocket stopped and turned his head slightly behind him. Mud dripped from his left paw as his fist clenched.

"Yeah, so am I."

oOo

Thor trudged through Wakanda, shivering slightly. It had probably been about an hour since his interaction with Rocket and he was absolutely soaked. Water quickly made its way into his mechanical eye, causing it to malfunction and become a general annoyance. After seeing double for half an hour, he wondered if it would just be worth it to just take it out. Unfortunately the rain made it significantly more difficult to get ahold of, so he continued walking and prayed to the Norns that it would eventually stop.

The distraction was quite welcome, however. He didn't want to think about facing Rocket again- or any of them for that matter. Everyone had lost someone. Rocket's words echoed in his head, reflecting the blame he had for himself. He was supposed to have ended it all. The victory that had welled in his chest at the sight of Stormbreaker embedded in Thanos' chest was sweet, though short lived. That was supposed to be the moment he avenged everyone- made their deaths worth something. Now, walking through the eerily empty streets of Wakanda, he was faced with his own loss. Loki, Heimdall, his father, his planet. At this point, he was a subjectless king and a warrior without victory.

Thor thumbed Stormbreaker's handle, feeling the rough, sinewy fibers of wood. Even his weapon once lived.

Greeted with the sight of a larger, grand building, Thor strode towards it. He actually had no idea where he was going since he had never been in Wakanda before. In a way, it reminded him of Asgard, with its narrow streets congested with buildings on either side. Whether based off of sentiment or common sense he wasn't sure, but he realized he had been basing his direction off of where he would have been heading in Asgard. He shrugged the thought off and continued towards the building looming in front of him.

Upon arrival, he was admitted without any questions. The warriors guarding the door wore a similar garb to the maiden who fought alongside of Wanda and Natasha in the battle. Gratefully, he assumed that Steve had informed them he was coming, as one of them broke off to lead him through the castle. Not a word was exchanged, but Thor was amazed at the extravagance within. Quite a bit of the technology would have rivaled Asgard's, to his great surprise. Most of the Midgardian tech was thousands of years behind that of his home planet.

 _Loki would have loved this_ , he thought wistfully.

The silent pair continued to wander through the palace until the warrior maiden came upon an ornately decorated door. She opened it, standing next to it stiffly. Inside the chamber was a well-lit room with a great deal of chairs arranged into a circle. A young African woman sat at the end of the room, looking quite small in the extravagant chair she inhabited. Next to her sat an older African woman robed in white with a simple headdress. Steve, Bruce, Natasha, Rhodey, and Rocket also sat around the circle.

Steve smiled and motioned to a chair between he and Bruce. Thor carefully squelched his way over, wet prints from his boots leaving small puddles behind him on the marble floor. Not quite sure what to do with his giant battle axe, he balanced it against the arm of the chair and sat down. For a moment, an awkward silence hung in the air before Steve spoke.

"Thor, this is Queen Shuri and the Queen Mother, Ramonda." He motioned to the pair, the older of the two, Ramonda, smiling in greeting. Shuri simply nodded as though she weren't fully paying attention. With that, Steve continued, this time with a bit more strain. "We've been in contact with Tony and he and Nebula should be here in a couple days. They're the only ones who survived out of their party."

"Who's Nebula-?"

Before Thor could fully finish his question, Rocket interrupted.

"Nebula is Gamora's sister. Apparently she and your friends were with the rest of the Guardians."

Realization dawned on Thor. Rocket was the only one left of the ragtag bunch he had met only a few hours previously. For a couple seconds, he just stared at Rocket with mouth slightly agape. The creature didn't make eye contact, choosing instead to fixate on the clasped paws in his lap.

"Clint is on his way, too. Apparently Laura and the kids disappeared in the Snap."

Natasha's words were cool and distant as per usual, but her face looked as though she had been slapped. Without her typical rigid posture, she seemed disconnected. Her blue eyes stared past her comrades into a world that no one could see, past the walls and into oblivion. For the first time in his some odd years of knowing her, Thor thought she looked tired.

"So what's the plan?" Thor didn't know what else to say. His own mind felt numb from loss. All he wanted was to move forward.

"For now, we're focusing on locating the survivors and tending to the wounded. We'll stay in Wakanda for however long we're needed. After that…" Steve shrugged. "I don't know." With that, he turned to the Queen, as if continuing a previous conversation. "Is there anything else we can do?"

Shuri gazed at the ground for a moment. Then, her eyes seemed to set ablaze and she turned them to the company before her. "Bring my brother back."

"Shuri." Ramonda hissed admonishingly, tears forming in her eyes. "T'Challa disappeared, Okoye saw it with her own eyes-"

"That doesn't mean he's dead! These stones- they have some sort of power, yes? Who's to say they didn't just transfer them from one place to another?" Suddenly, she turned on Bruce. "You- you're a scientist. It's possible, yes?"

Bruce fidgeted for a moment, then shrugged.

"I mean, I've seen weirder."

Satisfied, Shuri shot back at her mother. Something akin to chaos shone in her face, though there was a childlikeness that remained. "My brother is not dead. I won't believe it until _I_ see it with _my_ own eyes." Again, she turned towards Bruce. "You will help me?"

After a moment of internal deliberation, Bruce nodded slowly.

"I don't know where we'd start but it's worth a shot."

"Good. Now-"

Suddenly the door to the chamber burst open. Okoye rushed in, spear in hand and breathless. She was just barely through the entryway before she began to speak.

"My queen, there is a situation in the lab that requires the attention of the Avengers."

oOo

 **Until next time! What do you think is happening in the lab?**


	2. The Herald

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing that is owned by Marvel.**

oOo

Without hesitation, Shuri practically lept from her throne, urgency tightening her jaw.

"What is it?" It wasn't so much a question as a demand.

Okoye grasped for words, shaking her head for a few silent moments. "It's… we don't know, your majesty. We think it's some sort of portal but we can't get into the room. It's causing disturbances throughout the castle-"

As if shot from a gun, Shuri bolted towards the door. Okoye wasn't long after her, followed soon after by the present Avengers. Thor snatched Stormbreaker. As he ran amidst the group, only one possibility flashed in his mind: Thanos. Maybe the Titan made a mistake and sent himself right back into Wakanda. Though not dead, Thor's blow had certainly left him seriously wounded and the Gauntlet was no better off. It's reliability was certainly in question from it's burnt appearance. For the first time in the past hour, the thunder god smiled. Perhaps revenge would be his after all.

Purpose set him off at a speed he didn't know he could reach, easily surpassing his companions as he flew after Shuri and Okoye. As they ran down stair after stair, Thor heard a deep, bassy hum that sent his head spinning. Dread suddenly filled his legs with lead, making him feel as if he were running through gel. Everyone else seemed to feel it as well and they slowed to a halt. At that point they were greeted with the sight of the rest of the Dora Milaje guarding a metal door. They stood at a far off distance from it, however, and from their faces even that distance was painful.

Okoye gulped for air, keeling over and leaning on her knees. "We… we can't get any closer. There's… there's something… we don't know why."

Shuri didn't seem to hear her. As if unaffected, she marched towards the door. Steve glanced at Thor in mutual understanding and the two ran to meet her.

"Your majesty, you can't go in there."

Shuri whirled around to Steve, sweat beading on her forehead. "And why not? It's my lab, my work."

Thor gently took her by the shoulders. "Your people need you. They need your strength." He pointed towards the door. "Whatever's in there could kill you. Let Steve and I go in first to see what it is and we'll kill any bastard that tries to mess anything up."

The young queen stared him down for a moment. Eventually, however, she yielded, sighing. "You'd better."

Thor grinned. "Of course we will. That's what heroes do."

With that, he released Shuri and turned towards the door. The pair waited until the queen was back with the rest of the party and then cautiously moved towards the door.

"I see you've expanded your vocabulary." Steve mused.

Thor shrugged. They approached the Dora Milaje, who silently parted to allow them through. As they grew closer, Thor heard hissing whispers in his head. Dread welled up inside him until he felt as though he would implode. Even Steve seemed to feel it as well, wincing and clutching his chest. They were at the door now, the supersoldier's free hand on the handle. He glanced at Thor, and with a nod, he opened it and the two rushed in, slamming the door behind them.

The voices grew to a roar with words indistinguishable from each other. Though he couldn't tell what they were saying, he could hear their agony. Steve groaned beside him, clamping his hands over his ears and grimacing in pain. In the center of the room, a black ring marred the ceiling. Fiery red matter oozed from its middle, showering the floor with sparks and glowing stone. Ash cast a sick hue on the tables in the center, though the ones at the outer corners remained a pristine white. Acidic, dry air enveloped the pair. They choked as they advanced towards the anomaly.

"What the hell is it?" Steve's scratchy voice called out, barely audible above the voices in Thor's head.

The Asgardian shook his head. "I don't-"

Suddenly the voices died in his head. Strangely enough, the silence seemed more offensive. As soon as they stopped, though, a familiar voice cut through the reaches of Thor's mind.

" _Hello again, brother."_

His face went slack in shock.

"Hela?"

Her smooth laugh echoed in his skull. Like lightning, an image of a woman clad in black flashed in his mind. Her grotesque, protruding helmet stood stark against deathly pale skin. Fire burned in a wall around her like a canopy, shrouding her black obsidian throne in eery light.

" _Miss me?"_ She purred.

Thor gritted his teeth, dropping to the ground and sending Stormbreaker skittering across the floor in the process.

"What do you want?"

He could almost sense her disappointment though his mind's eye couldn't see her face. Slowly, she rose from her throne. Even as she walked toward him, no sound responded to her steps.

" _What, a sister isn't allowed to pay a visit to her little brother?"_

"Not when said sister is supposed to be dead!"

Again the laugh intruded into his thoughts. Ash sprinkled into his hair and sparks burned tiny holes through his armor.

" _Oh brother, you have a lot to learn about me."_ Though there was nothing there, Thor felt a hand ruffling the hair on the back of his head. " _Actually, I have a gift for you."_

He reared up as his eyes adjusted back to his surroundings, whipping around to see an exceedingly confused Steve Rodgers. Almost as if sensing the question in Thor's mind, he nodded and pointed to his own ear. He could hear Hela's voice, too.

Thor scanned the room. "What could you possibly have to give me?"

The portal sparked, sending a shower of ash onto the floor. " _Oh… you'll see. I wouldn't want to rob him the joy of explaining it to you himself."_

A growl ripped itself from Thor's chest and he jumped to his feet.

"Enough with the games!"

Hela's face flashed in Thor's mind again. Her teeth bared like a dog's as her nails slashed across his face. Suddenly his heart began to slow and a pounding thrumed in his ears. His breath caught in his chest, his sight began to go dark, and he dropped to the ground.

" _Don't toy with me. I could stand by, but I'm choosing to help."_

Without warning, flames exploded from the portal, creating a beam reaching from the floor to the ceiling. Light blinded Thor and Steve as searing heat sent them scampering to the outer corners of the room. Suddenly, everything stopped. The room returned to its normal temperature and the burning smell dissipated. Thor remained crouching near the door, part of him traumatized by the whole incident. The return to normality made him realize he was breathing normally again.

"Thor."

Steve's shocked voice broke his trance and he slowly turned again to the center of the room. The portal was gone, any trace of its presence having completely disappeared save for the charred ends of tables. Various machines hummed back to life with steril beeps. However, in the center of the room lay a prone figure.

Thor rose to his feet with his eyes fixed on the unknown person. Summoning Stormbreaker, he slowly moved towards Steve, who had moved to a corner near him. The pair moved towards the still mass on the floor without a word.

As they moved closer, Thor could hear quiet whimpers escaping the body. Its chest moved up and down in quick, erratic movements. Any color that the clothes once bore had been charred into a uniform black that matched its wild hair. Even from a distance, Thor could see that it held something in its hand, gripping with all its might. The mass in the ash stained fingers glowed with an aggressive light.

Slowly, recognition dawned on him and he moved toward the figure with greater purpose.

Finally, he reached it. Practically throwing Stormbreaker to one side, Thor knelt beside the figure and gently brushed the hair out of his face. Shock sent his senses into numbness as he stared at the pale face. The man's mouth moved in voiceless words, sweat dripping down his face as his head rocked from side to side.

" _You're welcome, Odinson."_

oOo

 **Thanks for reading!! Favs, follows, and reviews are much appreciated:)**


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